


You'll always be an exception to the fact

by thelittlespook



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 05:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2456498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittlespook/pseuds/thelittlespook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Tumblr Prompt- 'Leaves a cookie as an offering'</p><p>It's a broad interpretation but once I get into a certain flow, I have to follow it.</p>
    </blockquote>





	You'll always be an exception to the fact

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt- 'Leaves a cookie as an offering'
> 
> It's a broad interpretation but once I get into a certain flow, I have to follow it.

 

Resting on an awkward upside-downy angle, he pulls and reconnects wires under the console. "Not my fault she doesn't go where she's told," he grumbles. "Always lording it over me like I'm an idiot. If I had any control over this damned box, it'd do as it was told." 

 

The TARDIS groans loudly in protest and he squints in the direction of the rotors in annoyance. "You heard me, you useless machine. Take me where I ask for once," he calls into thin air. 

 

He'd regenerated months ago now and was slightly more temperamental this go around. Clara was a lot more wary around him and after the whole hatching moon debacle, he was in need of company. He wasn't supposed to contact any of his old favourites. New face means new rules and if anyone were worthy of breaking rules for, it was his wife. The only problem was that the TARDIS couldn't settle on a timeframe to visit her in. Too early and he risked exposing everything they'd worked so hard to protect, too late and he may be forced to send her off to her own death. 

 

"Come on, just take me to her. Any her," he begs. The rotors begin to whir to life, the engines grinding and wheezing as they moved. No sooner than they started, they were shutting down.

 

When he opens the door, he is greeted by an unfamiliar landscape; desert as far as the eye can see and, in the distance, a small figure charging toward him. 

 

He squints against the light, urging his eyes to adjust. As the figure moves closer, he can make out a tangle of curls bouncing on its head and a gun pointed square at him. 

 

His eyes widen and he shouts out to her. "Don't shoot, dear. It's only me." 

 

She begins sprinting, gun still held out in front of her. As she moves closer, he sees a ferocity in her eyes unlike any he's ever seen. It shouldn't excite him but it kind of does a bit and he backs slowly into the now closed doors of his time machine. 

 

"What do you call this," he asks gruffly and the machine responds with a petulant groan. "Oh, of course. Always side with her," he snaps. 

 

When River reaches him, she pins him to the side of the box with her forearm and presses the gun to his chest. With her closer proximity, he now sees that she is a great deal thinner than he'd previously seen her and her clothing is baggy and torn all over. 

 

His face falls. "Oh River, what's happened to you?" 

 

"Don't you  _dare_  River me," she growls. "Where the  _bloody_  hell were you?" 

 

The Doctor flinches. He'd never seen her so cross, not even after the time he'd accidentally knocked over the stack of mumbo-jumbo she called her thesis. 

 

"I don't know what you mean," he quickly blurts. "In my current timeline, you haven't seen this face yet." 

 

River glowers at him, her expression a mixture of disbelief and irritation, her breathing ragged and her trigger hand shaking. As she gazes into his eyes, she sees not the man who left her but another with his face. She slowly lowers the gun and places it into its holster. 

 

"What on Earth did I do?" 

 

River scoffs and gestures widely with her arms. "Look around, Sweetie. Do you honestly need to ask that question?" 

 

"Quite right," he mumbles. The TARDIS decides that now is the perfect time to open her doors and River storms inside, not bothering to greet her other mother and instead, makes a beeline for the nearest bathroom. 

 

While his wife bathes, he bustles about the TARDIS trying to prepare a comfortable space as best he can. He changes out the quilt on the bed in their room; olive green doesn't suit his eyes this time 'round, he thinks, and he decides that a rich red is far more appealing. 

 

He runs to the kitchen, uncertain of the food he should offer. "Come on then, you spiteful thing. Tell me, what does she need?" 

 

He hears a 'ding' come from the direction of the pantry cupboard that he's checked 14 times already and gives an impatient sigh before heading over and opening the door. Inside are all of the things he's already seen and deemed inappropriate... All except one thing. 

 

He gives a sly smile, silently thanking his blue friend for the assistance and then removes the package from the shelf, carefully depositing its contents on a ceramic plate he picked up in Pompeii with a friend he can't quite recall. 'Not good with names,' he mutters to himself. 'The red not-Scottish one.' 

 

On the way back to the bedroom, he notes the wet footprints along the hall and walks slowly to the door, hesitating for a moment before knocking. 

 

"Yes." 

 

"I've brought you a - bit of a peace offering," he calls back. 

 

When River doesn't protest, he opens the door a crack and peeks inside. She is perched on the edge of the bed, still in a towel, and reading her diary in silence. 

 

He moves forward slowly, placing the plate on the bed. "I'll just leave this here, shall I?" 

 

River turns to face him, pausing to look at the plate. "What is -" 

 

"I got it in Pompeii," he shrugs. "I thought you might like it."

 

"No not the plate, Doctor. What's on it," she asks, her voice a mixture of pain and astonishment. 

 

"Jammy Dodgers," he replies simply. "I asked the TARDIS what you needed. What would prove to you that I'm not that man who left you out there to fend for yourself. She gave me these."

 

River's eyes spill over with tears and he takes another step forward. "I thought your tastes changed with regeneration?" 

 

The Doctor furrows his prominent brows and slowly lowers himself to sit beside her on the edge of their bed. "There are a lot of things I don't like anymore. New body; new rules." 

He sees her face fall and it pulls at the strings of his hearts, forcing him to amend his statement. "But not for all things."  He places his ring-clad hand upon hers and  she gives a forlorn smile. " Some things that my old self loved are still among my favourites," he admits quietly.

 

River hesitantly motions to pull her hand away. "I know you're not one for physical intimacy anymore," she says, averting her eyes. 

 

"Not usually, but you'll always be an exception to the fact." 


End file.
